


A Miracle in One Hand and the Other Holds a Ball and Chain

by aruelia



Series: The Tertiary Timeline [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Fluff, Getting Back Together, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22409260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aruelia/pseuds/aruelia
Summary: Waking up in a hospital after a three month coma would be panic inducing for anyone, but it's made infinitely worse for Chidori since she can't remember anything from the past decade of her life. Luckily, someone from her past returns to help her begin the long road to recovery.
Relationships: Iori Junpei/Yoshino Chidori
Series: The Tertiary Timeline [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612738
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm Rue and this is my first (real) attempt at writing fanfiction. This is going to be the beginning of a expansive series I have been planning for several months called The Tertiary Timeline, which will basically be me changing the Persona Universe to make the games a bit more connected. I also have really strong feelings about Chidori, so she is alive and will be present throughout the series. I was heavily inspired by @TwilightKnight17's Hours 'Verse and a series of short drabbles done by a Tumblr user detailing Sho's childhood that I sadly cannot find. Anyways, I have a lot of ideas for this AU and I'm really excited for future works, but of course, we need to start at the beginning.
> 
> Title from Tricksters and Fools by Lynx

**??.??.??**

As she laid there, strapped into a dirty, old, reclining chair, trying her hardest not to breath, she could only see endless darkness. Everything felt numb and cold and wet. She wondered if this was what his last moments were like. He was ripped from her by those monsters masquerading as men and it wouldn’t surprise her if he died in the same chair she was in now. She wiggled her arms as much as she could, trying to find some way out of the leather straps. She had to get out. She wanted to get revenge, she wanted to hurt them, she wanted to-

Her escalating thoughts were cut off abruptly when a scientist entered the room and flicked on a small lamp, creating enough light for the girl to see his greasy, black hair and rodent-like face. Instantly, her fingers curled into tight fists and her teeth begin to chatter. He smiled a pleasant, almost sweet smile, that made her blood run cold. A small part of her was relieved that she was still able to feel fear after everything she’d been through but a much larger part was trying to come to terms with the fact that she was going to die. Why else would they send in Dr. Happy?

Every kid in the Strega Project knew who Dr. Happy was. Though not the most accomplished nor intellectual of the scientists on staff, Dr. Happy had absolutely no qualms with carrying out any experiment on anyone, no matter how gruesome the task or how young the child. He deprived several kids of sleep for weeks, keeping them awake with potent drugs. He had mutilated dozens of children, performing various amputations of healthy limbs, all without any form of anesthesia or pain relief. He lit a girl on fire and poured acid on a boy, neither of which were older than 10. He committed all of these atrocities, so horrible none of the other scientists would ever dare to do anything close, with a calm smile on his face, the same one that was inches away from her now.

He began to grab tools from the nearby work station, occasionally glancing over at her as if she was a mildly amusing site but not interesting enough to really capture his attention. She stayed silent and willed herself to stop shaking, determined not to let this monster realize just how afraid of him she was.

“Hello, #037. Pleasure to meet you,” he spoke softly. The girl used to hate when the scientists would refer to her by her number and would furiously correct them. Now, she could barely remember her own name. “I’m sure you were expecting one of the other doctors but I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” He laughed, but his eyes were cold and dead.

She always thought it was ironic that the scientists called themselves doctors, as if they were helping the kids they had abducted off the streets and were constantly torturing.

“I heard from Dr. Sato that you were biting and scratching yourself until you bled. And this was after Dr. Akagi had to patch the wounds you inflicted on yourself with that knife you smuggled from the kitchen. Seems you really want to die, huh, kiddo?”

His eyes narrowed. She gulped, feeling her throat get tighter. He continued,to rummage through his tools until he abruptly looked her in the eyes and asked, “This wouldn’t happen to be because of #036, would it? Your brother?”

She immediately tensed up, and his smile widened when he noticed her reaction. “Don’t worry. You’ll be together again soon.”

Then, in an instant, his eyes flashed with a deranged glint. He took a few steps towards her until he was towering over her. He had a knife in one hand and a syringe filled with a bright green liquid in another.

“Although, with how carved up you’ll be, I doubt he’ll recognize you. Plus, what brother could love a sister who repeatedly has tried to kill herself? If he were still alive, he’d hate you. He’d be glad I’m putting you out of your misery.” He paused, chuckled a little, as if he had told a mildly funny joke.

“Of course, I also told him that it was your fault that he had to die. Every time he screamed in pain, I’d tell him, ‘This is because of your sister.’ His last words were, ‘I hate her!’ Ah, music to my ears!”

The ice in her veins melted and gave way to a burning sensation that filled her entire body. The way he spoke about her brother was far too casual considering that he was describing his _murder_. Although she didn’t necessarily believe what he was saying, the idea of her brother died hating her filled her with uncontrollable rage and, in that moment, she decided that she was going to live. She had been content to die by her own hands but that was because it was her choice, her decision, her terms. She couldn’t let this monster, this horrible man, be the one to kill her. She didn’t know how or if it was even possible but she was going to live. She was going to live to spite this man and to carry her brother’s legacy on with her.

But it was too late. Before she could even begin to think of a plan, Dr. Happy jabbed the syringe into her arm and the knife into her chest. Fire. She could feel her skin burning, her insides boiling. Her vision went white and she could feel herself losing consciousness.

Through shallow breaths, she tightly shut her eyes and used all of the strength she still had to scream, “No!”

Suddenly, everything went still. The heat escalated, but somehow became more pleasant, almost like she was sitting a bit too close to a fireplace, when a soothing voice whispered in her mind, “You are mine now. I will protect you and, in return, you will do all I ask of you.”

The young girl didn’t even think. She slowly opened her eyes, which were now glowing an unnatural gold, and called forth her protector, whose name came to her more simply than her own.

“Medea!”

A rush of warm air. Then, nothing. True nothing. Nothing but white, white, white, white, _whitewhitewhitewhitewhitewhitewhitewhite-_

* * *

**01.21.10**

White. She could only see white when she first opened her eyes, and for some reason, this terrified her.

“She’s waking up!”

“I can’t believe it...”

“It’s a miracle!”

Overwhelmed by the loud voices, she quickly blinked in rapid succession and could soon see that she was in a hospital bed surrounded by what appeared to be two nurses and a doctor. She knew that hospitals should be safe but her gut told her not to trust them.

_painblooddeathwhitepainblooddeathwhiteplainblooddeathwhitewhitewhitewhi-_

“Woah, are you alright? You woke up a lot quicker than we thought you would.” A young female nurse tapped her on the shoulder, snapping her out of... whatever that was.

“Uh, yes. I’m fine. A little lightheaded and... wait, what happened?”

The nurse hesitated and looked over to the doctor, who just sighed and looked as if he was trying to figure out what to say. He eventually said, “You had an accident but you’re safe now. We’ll have to run some tests to confirm that your body is stable again but there is a high likelihood that you will be able to make a full recovery. Is it alright if I ask you some questions first?”

Something about this situation seemed familiar in the worst possible way. Despite her looming anxiety, she nodded.

“What is your name?”

“Chidori Yoshino.”

All three of the others in the room looked stunned. “You- you remember your name? Even your last name?” The doctor eventually got out.

“Yes? I know you said I had an accident but it would have had to have been something drastic for me to forget my name.”

“Uh, right,” the doctor looked unsure but his face quickly smoothed over. “Can you tell us everything you remember about yourself?”

She hesitated, still felt weary about giving the doctors a lot of information about herself. They continued to stare at her expectantly. Chidori bit her lip, then decided that she was safe enough to share what she remembered.

“Um... Well, my birthday is December 21st, 1990. I grew up in a small apartment with my parents and we lived a normal life until...”

_redblooddripdropgone_

The young nurse put her arm on Chidori’s shoulder. “It’s okay, take your time. It must be painful to talk about your family,” Chidori nodded and the nurse gave her a gentle smile before giving the doctor a pointed look.

The doctor sighed before turning to address Chidori again. “I’m going to go call Kirijo-san and tell her the good news but before I do, may I confirm something?” Chidori nodded, and he continued, “Do you know what a persona is?”

Chidori felt sure that she had heard that word before but she had absolutely no idea what it was. When she relayed this information to the doctor, he looked saddened but not surprised, which confused Chidori even more.

The doctor left the room, and the male nurse began writing things down on chart. The female nurse began to check her over and, even though she felt like she should feel safe, something deep inside of her was telling her to run before it was too late. She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed that the nurse had pricked her with a needle until she saw the nurse pulled it out of her arm.

Chidori stared at the small pinprick of blood forming on her arm, watching as it welled up into a droplet and roll a bit down her arm until it was abruptly cut off by the nurse gently placing gauze over it. This feather light touch was the thing that finally made Chidori realize that the needle should have hurt her, yet she had felt nothing.

“Why didn’t I feel the needle?”

The nurse turned to look at her, before giving her a small smile. “I’m honestly not sure. I asked you the same question after the first time I drew your blood and you didn’t even flinch. The only thing you told me was that you had never felt pain. I figured that it may have been a rare genetic condition or a side effect of the Strega project, but I-”

Chidori froze. Strega. Memories hit her like a wave, crashing against her skin, chilling her to the bone.

_labcoatsglassesdoctorsknivespointedteethpainblooddeathwhiteSHOJI_

In an instant, Chidori lept from the bed and wrapped her small hands tightly around the female nurses' neck. “You killed him!” she screamed, “You took my brother from me! I hate you! You will die for what you...did...” She slumped over asleep as the the male nurse removed a needle from her arm.

“Himari, are you alright? The sedation should keep her passed out for at least a few hours.”

“I’m fine,” she sighed as she rubbed her neck. “I guess we know that she does have enough of her memory to remember being a part of the Strega Project...” Himari was quiet for a moment before continuing. “It’s odd. She’s never acted like that towards us before... Sure, she was cold and quiet, but certainly never violent,” the nurse stared down at the girl in question.

“I guess saying ‘Strega’ triggered her. Maybe she thought we were working with them. Remember, she doesn’t seem to know who we are, and since she didn’t ask about him, she probably doesn’t remember Junpei-kun either. For all we know, she only played nice for his sake.”

They stared at the sleeping girl. While it was incredible that she was even alive in the first place, it would take a real miracle for her to gain the strength needed to continue living after everything she had been through.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chidori wakes up, again, and is overwhelmed by revelations, reunions, and a young man with a baseball cap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry it has taken this long for me to update this story. I've been sick this past month, but I'm fine now. Please let me know if you have any feedback, as I am still very new at this :))

**??.??.??**

A young boy with messy dark hair bounded along the sidewalk, hand and hand with his sister, only breaking off to splash in nearby puddles. Each time, like clockwork, he’d yell, “Dori, look! It’s my biggest splash ever!” His older sister, still very young herself, would scold him for getting wet but was always secretly amused with his antics. He would pout but quickly run to hold her hand again. 

This had been their routine for years when they had to go run errands. The young girl smiled down at her brother. They were three years apart but she was so small they were often thought to be twins. Though he could be annoying, she’d be lost without him.

It only took them a few more minutes for them to reach their apartment. The siblings knocked on the door, giggling as their four tiny fists pounded in a childish rhythm. Normally, their dad would open the door laughing and help them unpack the groceries before playing with them until dinner time. A few minutes passed and no one answered. The little girl shrugged and looked at her brother with a toothy grin. “He must be sleeping. Silly Daddy!”

They both giggled as she grabbed the emergency key from under the doormat. She unlocked the door, they walked inside, and it was only after seeing all of the lights off that the girl got worried. Their dad rarely left the apartment before their mom passed, but after her death three years ago he didn’t leave at all. The lights in their apartment were only off at night, so why weren’t they on now?

“Shoji, go put the groceries away.” The young girl didn’t quite know what was going on but she knew she didn’t want her brother to worry. 

She tiptoed to her father’s room and crept inside, but realized very quickly that no one was there. She glanced over to his bathroom and realized water was running, even though the lights were off. Her skin prickled as she realized that there was a strange metallic scent in the air. She knew now that something was definitely wrong. She ran into the bathroom and barely had time to process that she had stepped into a puddle of _something_ before she quickly flipped on the lights only to see-

Blood.

Bright red blood covering the bathroom floor. A disturbing ocean of red creating a trail up to a gun and a piece of paper in either hand of-

“Daddy?”

* * *

**01.21.10**

Chidori woke up abruptly, as if she was trying to save herself from reliving any more of that horrible memory. She tried to get up, but quickly realized that she was tied down to her bed. Time seemed to stop and she became consumed by fear.

_painblooddeathwhite-_

A female nurse turned away from the charts she had been reading and glanced towards her. “Chidori, what’s wrong?”

Chidori trembled violently and stared intently down at her hands, which were tightly bunched into fists. She was quiet and for a moment it seemed like she hadn’t even noticed there was someone else in the room. The nurse began to say something else but Chidori suddenly spoke. “Please,” she pleaded desperately. “Haven’t you done enough to me? Please, let me go.”

The nurse walked slowly towards her bed and gently sat down next to her. “Chidori, please listen to me. My name is Himari and I, along with Dr. Watanabe and Mr. Nakamura, have been caring for you for the past several months. We are not a part of Strega and we don’t want to hurt you. We only want to help you recover as best as we can.”

Chidori was still shaking but seemed much calmer than she was when she had woken up. She finally looked up at the young nurse, looking through Himari as if she were made of glass. “If you truly mean that, why am I tied up?”

Himari’s eyes widened and she quickly moved to untie the rope keeping Chidori restrained. “I’m so sorry, Chidori. We weren’t sure how you would react when you woke up and decided to restrain you as a precautionary measure. However, we aren’t holding you here and we wouldn’t do anything to you without your consent.” 

Chidori still wasn’t convinced. “How do I know you are telling the truth?”

Himari paused, then sighed, simply stating, “You don’t.” 

Chidori was taken aback by the nurse’s brutal honesty, but ironically enough, this was the thing that finally made her relax. The Strega “doctors” tried to convince her that they were only trying to help, both her and the rest of the world, and that she’d be okay. They rarely told the truth, selling her sugary sweet lies in a poor attempt in getting her to trust them. 

Himari put her hand on Chidori’s shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. “You are free to leave whenever you wish, but I, as well as the rest of the doctors who have been helping you, would like for you to stay at least long enough to let your friends visit you. They don’t know that you are awake yet but I am sure that they will want to see you once they find out.”

This caught Chidori’s attention, and she sat silently for several long moments. Eventually, her curiosity won out and she decided to stay at least until her friends arrived. When she told Himari as much, a grin broke out across the nurse’s face. “Great! Mr. Nakamura, the male nurse from earlier, will bring them to you in a little bit. If you need anything before then, just let someone know and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Himari started to walk out of the room before suddenly turning around to face her again. “Oh! I almost forgot! I also got you a sketchbook. It’s on the side table next to the bed if you want it, along with some pencils.” A fond smile crossed the young nurse’s face, “You always loved to draw.”

She then quickly left the room, leaving Chidori alone for the first time since she awoke. 

For some reason, this unsettled her, as if she hadn’t been truly alone in a very, very long time. Before she could think about why she was feeling like this, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the nearby window and let out a small noise of surprise. She was way older than she remembered being, clearly more developed than she had been in her memories. But the change that was most startling was her hair; her formerly dark hair was a shockingly unnatural red color. 

Chidori, deciding that this was a little too much to process all at once, turned her attention to the sketchbook that Himari had left her. Holding it in her hands, a rush of... something washed over her. It was warm, nostalgic, and just felt _right_ . Yes, Himari was right, she _did_ love to draw.

Remembering something, even something that was small and obvious and practically spoon fed to her, filled her with inspiration. She opened the sketchbook to a random page, and began to draw. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was drawing but it was coming out of her instinctively, like something deeper than herself was urging her pencil along the page. She was eventually startled out of her trance-like state by the sound of someone pacing and muttering to themselves outside of her door.

“Come on, man up! She’s probably dying to see you! Unless... What if she hates you? This _is_ all your fault. God, I shouldn’t even be here.” Chidori wanted to call out and say something to him but the sound of approaching footsteps stopped her. 

“Huh...? Junpei?! You took off that fast and you still haven’t gone inside?” a loud female voice questioned.

“Well... I mean, it’s kinda-”

Another female voice, much softer than the first, cuts him off, saying “We’ll wait outside. It wouldn’t be good for all of us to storm in.”

A third female voice chimes in, “I agree. Iori?”

Before Chidori could process any of this, a young man with a hat on burst through the door, followed by a regal looking woman with red hair and Mr. Nakamura. The man looked at her as if she were a ghost. It was obvious that he knew who she was but she didn’t even know his name, much less their relationship. 

“Her damaged endocrine system and other internal organs have completely healed. She’s still weak but there’s no more danger of her dying in two years.” 

Chidori wanted to question Mr. Nakamura about how and why she was supposedly going to die prior to her accident, but the young man in front of her was staring at her so intently that she couldn’t bring herself to look away from him, especially once he quietly asked, “Is it... really you, Chidori? I’m not dreaming, am I?”

She tilted her head. “Dreaming?” she pondered, as he took a step closer to her, tears spilling out over his cheeks. 

“It’s true... It is you... Chidori...” 

Though Chidori was touched that the man was crying over her, she was more confused than anything else and promptly blurted out, “Who are you?”

The man froze, tears still glistening on his face. “Huh? What?”

“I thought as much,” the regal woman, whom Chidori had forgotten was even in the room, said quietly. She gave the young man a pitying look but he didn’t notice as he was still only focused on Chidori. She continued, “Transmogrification is the proof that one lacks the ‘potential...’ I suspected this might be the case.”

This did nothing but further confuse Chidori, who looked at the nurse for some form of a translation. He gave her a kind smile and simply said, “This is Mitsuru-san and Junpei-kun. They were your friends last year.”

“Friends?” She studied them both a bit closer. So these were her friends. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed, as she had been expecting Shion or someone else who had escaped the Strega Project. At the very least, she thought she might regain some of her memories when she saw them, but she didn’t know anything about them. It was obvious that the young man thought she should remember him and was upset that she didn’t. She hesitated briefly, not entirely sure what to do, before deciding to just introduce herself as if she was meeting strangers, which in essence, she was.

She looked up at them. “My name is Chidori Yoshino. I’m sorry. It hasn’t quite hit me yet, but it seems I don’t remember any of the past few years. It’s as if... I was dreaming for a very long time.”

The young man (Junpei-kun, her mind corrected) seemed just as surprised as the doctors did that she knew her last name. Had she not been able to remember it before her accident? Junpei continued to stare at her as if she were some sort of mystical creature and if he looked away, she’d vanish. She felt like this should be creepy but instead found it kind of endearing, especially after he says her full name like he’s trying to savor the taste of it in his mouth, “Chidori Yoshino.”

“It seems all her memories after she awakened to her Persona are gone,” the nurse continued. “She remembers everything that happened before then, but as for you all...”

Junpei tilted his head downwards, obscuring her view of his expression.

“Iori?” Mitsuru seemed unsure of whether or not she should try to comfort him and eventually seemed to decide against it as she stayed frozen in place.

Junpei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. The way he was staring at her was different, like she was far in the distance instead of right in front of him. “Nah... I think it’s better for her that she doesn’t remember. All of that stuff about fighting and pills... When you’re having a nightmare, it ain’t a bad thing to wake up.”

This made her utterly furious. Who was he to decide what was best for her? “I didn’t say it was a nightmare,” she snapped. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

He looked flabbergasted but then, confusingly, a hint of a smile appeared on Junpei’s tear stained face. Even stranger, his smile, small as it was, made her really happy. Suddenly, warmth flooded her mind as a bit of her memories came back to her.

“It was a dream of meeting a kind, warm person at the end of a long tunnel. I can’t remember it clearly, but I wanted him to be happy, and I...” she paused. The next part was nonsensical, even to her, but the others in the room were staring at her expectantly. 

“I think there were flowers. A room filled with them! And- ngh!” Her head felt like it had been hit with something heavy and filled with cotton. Junpei’s eyes had widened when she mentioned the flowers but his eyebrows knitted together in concern when she put her head down.

“Chidori! Take it easy! You don’t have to force yourself to remember.” Junpei stuck his hand out as if he wanted to comfort her but pulled it back so fast she thought that she may have imagined it.

“Flowers in a room,” the nurse interrupted bluntly. “If she remembers that part clearly, then maybe...” He stopped upon realizing that everyone else in the room was staring at him, confused. The nurse hesitantly looked between her and Misuru and she got the hint that this wasn’t something he wanted her to hear. She began to lightly sketch something, pretending to get lost in her doodle but continued to listen to what the nurse was saying.

“Do you remember when she’d use her powers from time to time to make flowers bloom again? Any flower she touched would be mysteriously preserved. That’s why I kept them all, for research purposes.” Chidori wanted to laugh. She apparently had powers? These people must be crazy. The nurse continued, “But after the autopsy, I put them all on her chest as a tribute.” 

Her pencil stopped abruptly. Autopsy? On... her? She had _died?!_ Her breathing picked up pace and she was finding it harder to pretend she was oblivious to what they were saying. But the nurse just kept going, “And thinking back on it, it may have been that night that she began to Transmogrify.”

Mitsuru pursed her lips and for a second Chidori thought she was going to say that he was utterly idiotic, but, she didn’t, only quietly saying, “The power to share one’s life with others... Could it be that she reclaimed the life energy she’d given to those flowers?”

Chidori kept sketching but she was no longer paying any attention to what she was drawing, lost in her increasingly angry thoughts. Were these people seriously implying that she had magic healing powers, died, and then was revived from sucking energy from flowers? This was insane. She almost wished she hadn’t woken up. She gripped her pencil even tighter.

“Well, I can’t prove any of it,” the nurse replied, tapping his chin. “But compared to how she was before, she’s changed. The loss of her power is part of it, but more than that-”

She couldn’t take it anymore and pointedly closed her sketchbook. “Excuse me,” she began sarcastically, “are you talking about me?”

The nurse finally seemed to remember she was still there. “We were talking about how you want to live now.”

Her eyes opened wide. Had she wanted to die before? “What do you mean by that? Of course I want to live. I have to find the person in my dream someday. I can’t lie in this bed forever.”

Both Mitsuru and Junpei looked shocked to hear her say that. Misuru’s face softened and she asked, “Supposing you do find him and meet him, what then?”

“That’s...” Chidori trailed off and looked down as she pondered the question. What would she do? What if he no longer cared for her? What if he wasn’t everything she, literally, dreamed he’d be? But a small nagging part of her wouldn’t let her give up the idea of finding him. “That’s none of your business,” she eventually decided, before averting her gaze and pretending to study the pattern on the cover of her sketchbook.

But then, Junpei whispered her name with such intensity that she looked up at him and really saw him for the first time. He was tall, and though not classically handsome, was fascinating to look at. He had high cheekbones, a small goatee, and stunning light grey eyes that were shining with clear emotion and tears that he was desperately trying, and failing, to hold back.

She was only snapped out of her reverie when Mitsuru smiled and said, “Two hearts reunited. It’s a miracle. No, a victory.”

“Chidori,” Junpei sobbed.

“Hey... Why are you crying?” she asked, a poor attempt at comforting him. 

“I can’t help it,” he said, wiping at his tears that continued to stream down his face, “This is seriously the happiest moment in my life!” At that moment, Junpei broke down completely, sobbing loudly and uncontrollably, all with a smile on his face.

Chidori wasn’t sure how to feel about this. What about the man in her dream? Why was Junpei so relieved she was alive? Had they truly been that close? 

Misuru quickly wiped her eyes before turning to leave and Chidori realized for the first time that Junpei had not been the only one crying. It wasn’t even just the people inside of her room that were crying. The girls she had heard speaking with Junpei early were also choked up as they stood outside her hospital room. 

Junpei was still crying about five minutes later and she was finding it a bit awkward considering he was still staring at her and whispering her name over and over. “Um...” she began, breaking him out of his trance, “why do you keep staring at me?”

He shook his head as if shaking off all of his emotions and quietly replied, “I never thought I’d be able to see you again.”

“Oh... I see.” She paused, not sure how to continue. “I’m here now.”

His eyes filled with tears again but quickly wiped his eyes. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Well, considering how much you’ve cried since you got here, I can make a pretty good guess.”

He looked taken aback, and, for a moment, Chidori thought she had offended him. But, surprisingly, he laughed. “Fair point.” 

The nurse cleared his throat. Both teens jumped, having completely forgotten he was even in the room. “Junpei-kun, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. We still need to run a few tests on Chidori and visiting hours will be over shortly anyways. I’ll give you a few minutes to say goodbye,” then he quickly walked out of the room as if he had been wanting to leave for a while.

Chidori and Junpei shared a look before letting out a little giggle. Junpei’s face then became serious and he asked, “Hey, Chidori? I know this must be really overwhelming for you but... I was wondering if....” He bit his lip, a nervous habit that Chidori found oddly charming. “Can I come by tomorrow after school? We can talk and get to know each other.” A clear “again” hung between them, but Junpei left it unsaid.

She responded before she really thought about what he was asking. “Sure. I’d like that.”

He lit up like the sun. “Great! I’ll see you then.” He started to leave, but a soft look crossed his face. “I’m really, really glad you’re alive, Chidori.” He left before she could respond.

Himari soon came back and began asking her some more questions and getting her prepared for a few more tests but she was barely paying her any attention. Her mind kept drifting back to warm, silver eyes and a sunshine smile. 

When the nurse told her that she was done for the day, Chidori was exhausted. She opened her sketchbook to the last page she was on, and stopped instantly, heat rushing to her cheeks. Somehow, despite seeing him for the first time that she could remember, she had drawn a detailed depiction of Junpei Iori. He was smiling and had tears in the corners of his eyes. Eyes wide, she flipped through the rest of the sketchbook only to see that it was empty, except for what she had drawn that day. She turned back to the portrait and idly rubbed her fingers along the page until a sudden wave of realization hit her; she had drawn Junpei before. In fact, she had drawn him many, _many_ times before. 

She closed the sketchbook and gently put it down beside her. Chidori had had enough revelations for today and it was time for her to go to sleep, lest she have anymore. She soon drifted off to sleep with only one thought in her mind.

_At least I don’t have to wait very long to see what will become of me and the man from my dream. I’ll see him tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be posted on Sunday :))


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chidori and Junpei bond, and more of her past is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy and please comment any feedback you may have!

**??.??.??**

Chidori blinked her eyes open and was blinded by white. All she could see was white. White walls, white dress, white bed. Even more startling, she couldn’t remember where she was or how she got there.

Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she thought back to the last thing she remembered. She was in an alley looking for food for Shoji-

Instantly, she was alert. “Shoji?” she called, frantic.

“I’m here, sis.” Chidori looked over the side of her bed and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Shoji’s head peeking out from under her. Looking further down, she realized her bed was the tallest in a much larger stack of beds. 

She turned her attention back to her brother, who had climbed up to join her on her bunk. “Shoji, do you know where we are? Did the orphanage find us?”   
  
He shook his small head before replying, “No, I just remember you screaming and a white van.”

“White. Of course,” Chidori sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, wherever we are, we’re together and that’s all that matters.”

Shoji gave her a small smile and curled up next to her. Chidori looked down at him and began to gently stroke his hair. He had seen so much and yet was still an innocent little boy. She wasn’t sure exactly how old either of them were at this point, as keeping track of the date was a lot less important than finding enough food to stay alive, but he knew he was young. Sure, she was young too, but she was old enough to remember what life was like when it was consistent and warm and filled with love. Her brother could only remember chaos and cold and pain. Chidori pulled him a little closer to her, communicating an unspoken promise; she would never leave him.

Shoji yawned and rotated around to lay on his back. He splayed his arms and legs out, taking up most of the room in the small bunk. Chidori was about to chastise him when she noticed a few small black marks on the inside of Shoji’s left wrist, four tiny characters reading #036. She was utterly confused. 

_ When did he find a marker to write that on himself, and what do those numbers mean?  _ In an instant, chills enveloped her body. She closed her eyes before bringing her own wrist closer to her face. She opened her eyes, and to her horror, her suspicions were confirmed. She had #037 written in black ink on her arms and she could tell just by looking at it that it would not come off if she rubbed it. They had been branded.

The orphanage had been horrible but even they wouldn’t do something as terrible as permanently alter their bodies. Chidori had to get them out of here.

Shoji soon drifted off to sleep and Chidori decided to do as much investigating she could without moving him. Being so high up gave her a vantage point to see the entirety of the room they were in. There were a total of twenty stacks of beds, five along each wall. Each stack was comprised of five beds, and though she couldn’t see into all of the bunks, she did see quite a few other children laying in their beds. They were all small, not much more than bones, as if they had also spent some time on the streets. None of them seemed confused or scared, so Chidori assumed they had all been there some time. She and her brother were probably the newest arrivals, but judging by how blank and empty the other kids looked, this wasn’t exactly paradise.

Chidori continued to scan the room but the only thing present besides the beds was a single, metal door in the center of the wall opposite to her. No tables, no chairs, not even any windows. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling blared down, making it feel like daytime to Chidori, but judging by the fact that all of the other kids were either asleep or laying in their beds silently, she assumed it was night. 

‘Well, that’s one disadvantage to having the top bunk,’ Chidori thought glumly. She wasn’t really tired but figured she wouldn’t get any answers until that morning so trying to get some sleep was her best option. She layed down, careful not to disturb her sleeping brother, and closed her eyes.

Time passed slowly. Chidori tried every position, every angle, but no matter which way she was lying, she could see the glare of the bright, white lights behind her eyelids. 

Eventually, after what were only a few minutes but felt like hours to the young girl, Chidori sat up and was about to resign herself to a sleepless night, when she made eye contact with another girl in the bed directly across from her. The girl looked a lot older than her, probably in her late teen years, and she had short, choppy black hair. The girl gave her a small smile and pointed up at the lights before mouthing, “Can’t sleep?”

Chidori nodded slowly and the girl gave her a sympathetic look. “I understand,” the girl mouthed in reply. The girl’s eyebrows furrowed, and then her eyes lit up, a clear “aha!” moment. She quickly balled up a small, grey blanket on her bed, the same kind that Chidori and Shoji were wrapped up in, before abruptly crawling towards the foot of her bed. She grinned and chucked the blanket ball at Chidori.

Startled, Chidori jumped as the blanket hit her arm. She was about to glare at the other girl, assuming that she threw the blanket as some kind of prank until she looked up to see the other girl smile at her, before covering her face with her hands.

This only confused Chidori more until she realized what the other girl was hinting at. She returned the girl’s smile, mouthed “thanks,” and then used the extra blanket to cover her eyes.

Chidori breathed a sigh of relief. Though she could still see faint light from behind the blanket, the extra coverage provided more than enough darkness for her to sleep. She moved the blanket away from her face to see the girl staring at her expectantly. Chidori gave her a thumbs up, which the other girl reciprocated as she mouthed, “Talk more tomorrow.” Chidori nodded, then layed down and recovered her eyes. She still didn’t know what exactly happened and why she was in this weird, white room, but she felt oddly calm. Chidori knew that everything would work out in the end, for both her and Shoji. She had always been Shoji’s protector, whether it be at home, the orphanage, or on the streets, and that was never going to change. Chidori thought back to the girl, how she so easily and selflessly gave Chidori her only blanket. She wouldn’t mind having a protector of her own.

* * *

**01.22.10**

Chidori woke slowly, warmed by the memory of her dear friend. She didn’t know what had happened to her, but Chidori desperately hoped Shion was alright. 

She had only been awake for a few minutes when Himari walked into her room. “Good morning, Chidori! I hope you slept okay.”

Chidori sat up and gave the nurse a little smile, “I did, thank you.”   
  
“Good, I’m glad to hear that. I wanted to talk to you about the plan for today. Dr. Watanabe wanted to come in and ask you a few questions about your past, but I understand if you are not up for it.”

Chidori thought for a moment before replying, “Could he wait until Junpei comes?”

Himari looked startled. “That’s probably fine,” she began. “But, if I may ask, why? I thought you didn’t remember who he was.”   
  
“I don’t but... I know I want him there. I feel like it’ll be easier to talk about if he’s there.”

The nurse chuckled and shook her head. “Even without your memories, not much has changed. I’ll bring you breakfast in a few minutes.”   
  
Himari walked out of the room, leaving a blushing Chidori in her wake. 

_I guess I was spot on with my theory about who the man in my dreams is. I hope I’ll still feel the same as I did when I had my memories._

Chidori sighed, before leaning over and grabbing her sketchbook. If she had to spend her afternoon delving into the dark abyss of her past, she was going to use the morning to draw the dream that was her future.

* * *

Several hours and filled sketchbook pages later, there was a knock at her door. “Come in!” she called.

Junpei opened the door, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. “Hey, Chidori,” he said gently. “I brought you these. I know sunflowers are your favorites- er... well, they  _ were _ your favorites. Uh, I hope you like them, but if you don’t-”

Chidori cut off his rambling with a little giggle. “Junpei, calm down. I didn’t remember that I had a favorite flower, but I do love sunflowers. Thank you for the gift.”

His face was overcome by a light pink blush. “You’re welcome.”

They fell into a steady rhythm of conversation, topics ebbing and flowing as easily as waves. Chidori learned that he loved baseball (a fact that she felt that she definitely had already known) and Junpei learned that her favorite colors were blue and yellow (“You would never tell me before!”). Chidori had assumed it would be awkward to talk to him, feared that he wouldn’t live up to her expectations of the amazing man in her dreams, or worse, that she wouldn’t live up to his expectations to be the girl she once had been, but was happily disproven. They talked both as strangers and as old friends, sharing basic facts about themselves one breath, deep secrets in the next. It was amazing how much she felt connected to him, despite this only being the second interaction she could remember them having. 

Junpei had just finished telling her about some silly competition called “Operation Babe Hunt” that had her nearly in tears from laughter. She was about to tease him for being such a womanizer when she saw the wide-eyed look on Junpei’s face. “What?”

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly, I’ve never heard you laugh like that before,” he blushed. “Your laugh... it’s beautiful.”

Chidori’s face went redder than her hair as Junpei looked shocked, like he hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Before either of them could say anything else, Dr. Watanabe walked into the room. “Hello. I hope now is a good time to ask you some questions, Chidori.”

Junpei stood from his chair quickly. “Oh, sorry. I’ll head out.”

“No,” Chidori grabbed his hand. “Stay? Please?”

Junpei blushed the deepest red Chidori could ever remember seeing on anyone’s face. He paused for a moment, then gave her a smile and sat back down in his chair, careful to keep their hands intertwined.

Dr. Watanabe cleared his throat. “Alright, let’s begin. I’ll start with some basic questions. Just to confirm, your name is Chidori Yoshino, your birthday is December 21st, and you are currently nineteen years old, correct?”   
  
Both teens looked surprised, but it was Chidori who spoke. “I’m nineteen?!”   
  
The doctor raised his eyebrows. “You were born in 1990, right?” Chidori nodded. “Then, yes, you are nineteen. It’s currently January of 2010.”

Chidori was stunned at this information. She knew that she was considerably older than she was in her memories, but she had assumed that she was sixteen or seventeen, that she hadn’t lost as much of her life as she was only now realizing that she had.“The last age I remember being,” she began shakily, “is nine.” 

Now it was Dr. Watanabe’s turn to be surprised. “You developed your Persona that young?”

“I told you earlier, I don’t know what that is.”   


Instead of replying, Dr. Watanabe gave both teens a sad look and jotted down some notes. “Nevermind. I got ahead of myself. Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

Chidori took a deep breath and closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself. Junpei gently squeezed her hand and whispered, “Take your time.”

A few minutes later, Chidori opened her eyes and gave Junpei a small smile before turning to the doctor. “I’m ready.”

She began slowly, but quickly built up speed, like there was nothing she or anyone else could do to stop the words tumbling from her mouth. She started with her family, her early years, before moving on to Shoji’s birth, which was quickly followed by her mother’s death and, a few years later, her father’s suicide. Chidori told them about the hellish orphanage she had lived in, the horrific abuse from kids and adults alike, the lack of food, and the siblings’ daring escape. She spoke about living on the streets, sleeping on cold pavement, a kind old couple who sometimes gave them melon bread, and eventually being forced into a white van by two men in suits. Her story concluded with her first few days in the Strega Project, meeting an older girl named Shion, the death of her little brother, and being strapped into an old chair at the mercy of a monster named Dr. Happy before everything went white.

By the time she was finally finished, she was breathing heavily and tears were pouring down her face, but, oddly enough, she felt like a giant weight had been lifted. Dr. Watanabe finished whatever he was writing, looked up at her, and nodded. “Thank you for being so open, Chidori. I’ll be back tomorrow to run a few tests.”   
  
After he left, Junpei let out a sigh, “Damn. You’ve been through a lot.”

She gave him a watery smile. “Yeah, I guess so.” 

“You never told me much about your past. I was a bit surprised that you opened up so easily.”

Now it was Chidori’s turn to be surprised. She thought that they had been close. When she told Junpei as much, he quickly replied, “We were! It’s just... I did most of the talking.” He stared out of the window, lost in memories. “You were always quiet, focused on your art, but... I knew you were always listening. You’re the only one who has ever truly listened to me, not just written me off as comic relief.”

Chidori’s cheeks caught fire, both from blushing and from anger at seeing Junpei down on himself. She looked him dead in the eyes, “You are so much more than just comic relief.” 

It only took a moment before she realized why sunflowers became her favorite flower. Junpei’s eyes crinkled in the corners and a beautiful, beaming smile bloomed on his face as he looked up at her as if she was the sun and he was just happy to be in her presence. She hoped he knew that she felt exactly the same way about him.

Though there was only a few inches between them, it suddenly felt like they were way too far apart. She gently stroked his face, leaned in closer, closed her eyes, and-

“Visiting hours are over, Junpei-kun,” Mr. Nakamura said as he walked into the room. The two teens jumped apart and Junpei’s chair made a loud rattling noise, but the nurse seemed completely oblivious to what he had just interrupted and simply began to fix Chidori’s medicine.

Junpei cleared his throat and abruptly stood up. “Y-yeah, I should go. See you later, Chidori.”

He ran out of the room before Chidori could even respond, leaving her equal parts confused and frustrated. 

_ Why did he run off like that? Did he not want to kiss me? ...Wait, why did  _ I _ want to kiss  _ him _?! I mean sure I knew him before my accident, but I only really know him from the few hours we’ve spent together since I woke up. _

Her spiraling thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Nakamura handing her a cup of water and several small pills, which she swallowed quickly. He checked off a few more things on her chart before wishing her good night and leaving her room.

Chidori sighed and glanced over to stare at the window, watching the sun melt into the horizon. She hoped that she hadn’t messed everything up with Junpei, that she hadn’t just imagined the love she had seen in his eyes, that he would come back to see her again. She stared out of the window, lost in her thoughts, long after the sun slipped completely from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter on Wednesday :))


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Junpei visits Chidori again, he gives her a letter that changes everything.

**??.??.??**

It didn’t take the siblings very long to adjust to life in the labs. They quickly learned from the sickeningly cheerful doctors that they had been hand selected to be participants in the Strega Project, a medical study that would help save the world from a horrible disease. It only took one session with a doctor for them to realize that that explanation was code for “we kidnapped a bunch of children off of the streets to aimlessly torture and experiment on.” 

Over the course of a few months, Chidori had been shocked with electric bolts, injected with hallucinogens, and held underwater until she had nearly died. Sadly, she knew that she had been spared from far worse. 

There was nothing good about the labs and sometimes, in the depths of night, Chidori contemplated not eating or finding some other way to kill herself. The only reason she never attempted something like that was because she had to protect Shoji. Well, that, and the fact that Shion would be devastated if she did something like that. 

After the siblings’ first night in the lab, Shion had taken both of them under her wings. She had been one of the original kids in the Strega Project, which was made obvious by the brand on her left wrist: #009. She was the one who had explained to them that each child was given a number, in the order in which they were brought to the lab, and referred to only by such in order to erase their identity. More importantly, Shion was the one who gave them the strength to stand up to the horrible doctors and correct them every time they referred to them as numbers instead of their names. The doctors never wavered but this small amount of defiance was enough to keep them going.

The three of them spent almost every day together, telling stories, playing games, anything to keep their minds off of the reality they were living in. Chidori knew that they were the only reason she wasn't completely dead inside like the majority of the others, and once again, thanked her luck that she had them.

It had just been a typical day in the labs when they called Shoji’s number, signalling that it was time for him to be “treated.” The only thing even mildly unusual about it was that he was called back earlier in the day than normal, but Chidori didn’t think much about it. She simply hugged him, and watched her little brother walk away. 

When he didn’t return several hours later, Chidori was a wreck. She was sobbing, shaking, screaming, and no matter what anyone did, even Shion, she would not calm down or stop. She demanded to see her brother, or at least know what had happened, but the doctors didn’t budge an inch. Eventually, one of the doctors got sick of her causing a scene and sedated her.

When Chidori woke up, before she could go into hysterics again, a doctor informed her that her brother was dead. Time stopped. The world crashed around her. She couldn’t see anything or hear anything or feel anything. She was completely and utterly numb. 

They sent her back to the small, white room with the rest of the children and told her to go to sleep. Robotically, she climbed up the long ladder, purposefully closing her eyes to avoid seeing Shoji’s empty bunk, only opening them again when she was solidly in her own bunk.

Her eyes soon met Shion’s, who looked like she had been crying. She mouthed something that Chidori didn’t bother even trying to read. She just ignored the older girl, pulled her blanket over her head, and cried. 

* * *

**01.31.10**

“Wake up, Chidori! It’s breakfast time!” Himari called cheerful, completely oblivious to the horrible dream that her patient had been having moments before. Chidori groaned and rubbed her eyes, but accepted the tray with a smile.

She ate slowly, without much rush, enjoying Himari’s company. The young nurse had to carry most of the conversation, but she never seemed to mind. 

Chidori’s mind drifted as Himari spoke, thinking about her schedule for the rest of the day. After breakfast, Dr. Watanabe would come in, run a few tests, ask her a few questions, then leave. She would idley sketch or nap for a few hours, only stopping when Mr. Nakamura brought her lunch. Next up was an hour of physical therapy, followed by more down time. Her day would be officially over when Himari brought her dinner and checked her vitals one final time, and Chidori would eventually fall into a restless, nightmare filled sleep.

That had been her routine for the past week and a half, each day only containing minor deviations. Mitsura-san had visited her a few times, sometimes accompanied by a very passionate young man named Akihiko. They had introduced themselves as her friends, but it was clear that they didn’t trust her much. The feeling was mutual.

Junpei hadn’t returned since the day after she woke up, and at this point, she was expecting to never see him again. At first, she was disappointed; she had been so sure that he was the man in her dreams. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe she let her wishful feelings cloud her judgement. 

Chidori had just finished her physical therapy for the day and wanted to do nothing more than take a shower and take a nap before dinner when she heard a knock at her door. “Come in,” she called out, confused as to who would try to visit her so close to visiting hours being over.

Her confusion only deepened when Junpei sheepishly entered the room. “Uh, hey, Chidori. How have you been?”

“Um... Fine, I guess. A little bored and,” she paused for a second before continuing, “a little lonely.”

Junpei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he sat down in the chair by her bed. “I’m sorry, Chidori. A lot has been going on lately and I didn’t want to burden you, and-” 

She made a face and interrupted him. “It’s not up to you to decide what’s a burden to me.” 

“I-I know! I’m not trying to put words in your mouth or anything, it’s just...” He trailed off and glanced down. He took a moment, clearly trying to figure out what he wanted to say, before he looked back up at her. “I can’t tell you everything. I’m sorry. I truly am.”

Chidori paused and, after considering his words and the pleading, desperate expression on his face, eventually took his hand. “It’s okay, I understand,” she began. “Just tell me what you can.”

Junpei gave her a small, relieved smile, but it didn’t last very long. “The thing is... We are in danger.”  
  
“We? Like you and your friends?”   
  
“Yes, but it's more than that. Honestly,” Junpei took a deep breath and gripped her hand tighter, “the whole world is at stake.”

Chidori froze. “What?” she asked, hoping that Junpei was going to flash her a winning smile and tell her that he was kidding, but she knew just by looking at the pain in his eyes that that was not going to happen.

Junpei just nodded. “It’s true, as crazy as it may sound. That’s part of the reason I haven’t been visiting. My friends and I have been training hard, doing everything that we can to prepare for the final battle and, as much as I wanted to come see you, I didn’t have a lot of time. The other reason...” He gave her a small, sad smile and finally just said,“The other reason is that I’m selfish.”  
  
With that, Junpei gave her one long look before standing up, and turning to leave. “What do you mean? Junpei, where are you going?” she pleaded.

He turned around slowly, his eyes glassy and wet, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper that had been folded in half. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Everything is in this letter.” He handed it to her, then slowly began to walk to the door. Right as he reached the door, he stopped abruptly and whispered, “I hope I’ll see you again one day, Chidori.”

He left before Chidori could respond, leaving her alone in her room. She had barely begun to process what he had said when he just... left her. She brought the letter he had given closer to her face and a small, bitter part of her contemplated ripping it up into a thousand small pieces and never thinking about him again. After a short internal debate, the larger, more curious part of her won out and she opened the letter.

* * *

_~~My beloved,~~ _

~~_Dear,_ ~~

_Chidori,_

_If you are reading this letter, that means that I mustered up the courage to go see you but not enough to tell you all of this in person. I want to apologize for not visiting you. I’m sure I told you some lame excuse like, “I couldn’t visit you because I’m too busy trying to save the world!” Well, that is true, but it's more than that._

_I’m not sure how much you were told about your “accident” that led to your amnesia, but I’m guessing that you haven’t been told a lot. The truth is that ~~you died trying to save me~~ you were injured trying to save me. The only reason I am alive is because of you, and I never got to thank you for that. So, even though you don’t remember any of this, thank you. _

_By now you probably know that we were ~~dating in love~~ very close. When you were injured, I thought I’d never be able to see you again. I think I said it the day you woke up, but seeing you awake again was truly the happiest moment of my life. You have been through so much and if anyone deserves a second chance at life, it’s you. _

_Being able to spend time with you again, even just a few hours, was amazing and something I didn’t think I’d ever get to do again. But, it’s not fair to you for us to become close again when I have no idea whether or not I’ll make it out of this fight ~~alive~~ okay. No matter what happens to me on the 31st, I want you to be happy. _

_I don’t know what will happen at the end of the month. I don’t know if or when I’ll ever see you again, or even if you’d want to see me again. I know I haven’t exactly made a stellar ~~first~~ ~~second~~ impression, so I would understand if you were done with me. But I need to tell you this because I would never be able to forgive myself if I ~~died~~ never got to._

_I love you, Chidori. I love you, I love you, I love you. I love the concentrated look you get on your face when you are drawing. I love how you always speak your mind. I love how carefree your laugh is and I’m so glad that I got to hear it ~~before the end~~ . I love you more than anything on this planet. You make me want to be a better person and that, along with a million other reasons, is why I love you. _

_This is probably really creepy since you only remember us talking for just a few hours, but I promise I mean it. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way and it’s okay if you never do. I just hope that ~~if i survive~~ when this is over, it’s okay if I come and visit you again. _

_Sincerely,_

_Forever Yours,_

_Junpei._

* * *

Chidori read the letter several times, savoring Junpei’s words and praying desperately that this wouldn’t be the last time she would ever hear from him. 

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, a blur of colors and noises that she paid little attention to. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, hearing his voice, seeing his face in her head. That night, she sat by her window, staring at the endless, black sky. She studied each one of them and begged them to keep him safe, protect him from whatever evil he was facing. Chidori eventually fell asleep, desperately clinging to the letter he gave her and her hope that he would return to her one day.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter on Sunday :)) Any feedback is greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A warm memory, some changes, and a heartfelt reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, rehearsal for my school's musical ran late so this chapter is up much later than I would have wanted, but I hope you enjoy!

**??.??.??**

Faint light. Warmth. Home.

_ A canary sings a cradle song _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child! _

She was curled up by her mother, being lulled to sleep by her gentle voice.

_ Above the cradle, the loquat fruits sway _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child! _

Their hearts painted a clear picture: one of hope, of family, of love.

_ A squirrel rocks the cradle by its rope _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child! _

She always tried to stay awake until her mother had finished her song, but the young girl was exhausted and on the cusp of sleep.

_ Dreams in a cradle, with the yellow moon shining down _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child..... _

A small, satisfied smile graced her lips as she finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**03.06.10**

Chidori had been in the hospital for nearly three months and was, to put it mildly, extremely stir crazy. She hadn’t had any visitors since January and the hospital staff had started treating her oddly, like they weren’t sure why she was there and, instead of trying to figure it out, just decided to ignore her, causing her to become painfully lonely. Even drawing didn’t provide her with as much joy as it once did.

However, the general lack of company and pervasive boredom she was faced with did give her a lot of motivation to experiment. Himari brought her some manga one day, and though Chidori initially found the plot and art style immature, soon became engrossed in the cheesy romances they allowed her to escape into. She started asking for new novels frequently and Himari and the other nurses brought them to her whenever they could. 

Chidori also took advantage of the TV she had in her room, spending hours watching dramas and comedies alike. She even occasionally watched baseball, though it was bittersweet since it always made her think about  _ him. _

By far the biggest thing Chidori had experimented with was her hair. She removed her bonnet and ribbons within a few days of being in the hospital, but after several failed attempts to comb out all of the tangles in her long, unruly hair, she decided to take action. Aided by Mr. Nakamura, who was tasked with cutting patients’ hair quite often, she spent the better part of an afternoon in front of a mirror with a pair of scissors. The result was a short, choppy bob that was simultaneously hideously uneven and utterly perfect. It felt great, not only to get all of that weight of her shoulders (quite literally), but because it was a decision that was entirely her choice.

She had tried several times to get information from the hospital staff, specifically about the Strega Project, but it seemed like they knew less than she did, so she eventually gave up, spending all her time and energy trying to learn about the world around her. She desperately wanted to leave the hospital and the doctors had told her multiple times that she was healthy enough to be discharged. The only reason she hadn’t left yet was because she had nowhere to go, but Chidori knew that she would soon need to just take the leap, lest she go crazy waiting around in her hospital for someone who would probably never return.

Chidori had been planning on leaving the day before, but it was like all of the doctors who worked with her had suddenly had a change of heart and requested that she stay a few more days, so she agreed. She had just been laying in bed reading when she heard a knock on her door. Assuming it was just someone on staff, she yelled, “Come in!”

She heard the door open and close, but only looked up when she heard him whisper “Hi, Chidori.”

The book fell from her hands and, in an instant, she was out of bed wrapping him in a tight hug. He reciprocated the embrace and they stood there for a long while, too caught up in being reunited to do much more than just enjoy each other’s presence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! The first part of this series is done! I know that the ending was a bit abrupt but the purpose of this fic was to establish Chidori as a character, as well as her backstory. Her relationship with Junpei and the rest of the P3 gang will be addressed in the next two fics. After that, I will finally get to start posting my long-time-in-the-making P4 rewrite. Trust me, I have lots of plans for this alternate universe of mine and I hope that you guys will stick around for the ride ;))
> 
> The first chapter of the next part of the series will be posted on 3/29/20. See you then!  
> -Rue

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As I am new at this fanfiction stuff (well, writing anyways), any feedback you have will be greatly appreciated :))


End file.
